SAbbAtiCAL - A Second Chance

It was January 2018 when I thought of taking a sabbatical when I failed my first overseas opportunity at the ASML. It was an eye-opener that made me realize how much I don't know about my work.

I have got family support for my "self-sponsored" sabbatical but with much uncertainty. I was clear about what I needed to do and how to plan it. My first office colleague turned best Friend, Gurjindar Singh, and my College Friend turned mentor turned coach Shivi Arora helped planed it amazingly. I hit the nail on the wall. Covid-19 is a blessing in disguise, giving me enough time to skill up what I was lacking. It defiantly sounds like I achieved what I planned. However, it was insanely tough to sustain daily needs at the peak of Covid time without a job. It was a hard time that placed me in survival mode. This survival mode pushed me to flex my wings in all directions. College time offered me the best resources I could access to enhance my skills. It was all Online, and I came across the best tutors on Youtube and Udemy, which offered me perhaps the best understanding of the technology in the field of IT Infrastructure. Everything I had ever read, heard, or seen throughout this survival mode was now organized and available. All my fear and shyness to the weirdest questions in any forum has gone. It was this time that If I wasn't moving forward, I felt like I was going to waste time.

For reasons in India, I never drove a car; I decided to take a driving class. I then realized that Driving is not Fun; it is a Serious responsibility. Going for the first time on a Highway for 16 hours was beautiful and historical, in a way that EVs can't capture, and I found it fascinating. Thanks to Neha Sinha, who trusted me throughout the whole journey.

I wasn't lucky - I found what I loved a little late in life, but this "SAbbAtiCAL" made me realize I was blind, but now I can see.

To be Continue...